Pretty Princess
by BobtheFrog
Summary: Reggie, the Mad Hatter, finds Alice inconsolably sobbing and tries to make her feel better. WCMI 'verse.


**Title:** Pretty Princess  
**Author:** gilove2dance/BobtheFrog  
**Rating:** G  
**Word Count:** 714 word ficlet  
**Disclaimer:** I own nothing of this. Reggie belongs to Disneyland and Brianna Garcia and Alice to Disney and Lewis Carol

**Author's Note:** This is my first venture into this fandom so I apologize for any OoC-ness and it was not beta-ed so any mistakes are my own.

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"Cricket? Where are you?" Reginald Theophilius the Third slowly opened the unlocked door to one Alice Liddel's home. He reached up and took off his hat as he entered. Belle had come to him in his hat shop and told him that Alice had gone home upset and wouldn't tell her what was wrong.

"Alice?" Reg poked his head in the empty sitting room. Everything was in it's place. He then heard a soft sob coming from upstairs. He put his hat and coat on the hall table and made his way to the second floor. The crying was coming from behind her bedroom door. Reg knocked softly. "Cricket, it's me Reggie. What's wrong? Can I come in?"

"No! Leave me alone!" Alice's voice was muffled and interrupted by a sob. She was surely crying her eyes out. Reg slowly opened the door and peered in. Alice was sitting on the floor with her back against the bed. She was surrounded by crumpled tissues and was crying into a fresher looking one. Her eyes were red and her cheeks wet from her tears. In short, she looked utterly miserable.

Reg carefully, made his way over to her and when she didn't look at him, he slid down onto the floor next to her, his arm pressed up against hers. Neither one moved for a heartbeat and then Alice turned and buried her face in his chest, her body heaving with new sobs. Reg wrapped his arms around her and gently rested his cheek on her head. "Please tell me what's wrong Cricket, so I can fix it."

She shook her head and just blew her nose loudly. Reg smiled crookedly. "Please? I'll make you tea after." He heard her mumble something. "I'm sorry Teacup, but I didn't quite catch that."

"You'll laugh." Alice turned her face up. "I'm being silly."

"Nonsense. Silliness is Very Serious Business. I could never laugh at silliness." Reg pushed her to sit up herself and brushed her tears away with his sleeve. "Now tell me what is the matter."

"I got a letter from my sister this morning. My old childhood friend is getting married," Alice sniffed.

"And that is bad." Reg nodded gravely.

Alice gave him a watery smile. "No, it is wonderful. I am very happy for her." Reg's brows furrowed in confusion. "It just made me think about my life." Alice looked down at her fingers, tearing the tissue to shreds. "I look at all my friends here – Belle, Snow, Aurora and Ariel – and they are all so beautiful." New tears leaked down her cheeks.

Reg opened his mouth and closed it again. He tried again. "They are very pretty if you like their frivolous manner. They are quite boring and have no imagination for having fun. Could you elaborate on how that connects to your friend in England?"

"They all had princes who were tripping over their own feet to marry them. I'm…I'm –" Alice's body was heaving with sobs. "I'm not…near…enough…pretty…to…find…a prince!" She collapsed on his chest once more.

Reg's heart sank. He knew he was no prince. He held her again gingerly. But this matter about her beauty…did she not know how radiant her was? "Alice, you are far more beautiful that any princess and tenfold more interesting. And one day, your prince will find you and tell you so. Now," he stood up, pulling her with him. "Let's stop wallowing here and I'll make you a pot of tea. You will feel much better after, I promise."

Alice nodded and blew her nose. "You go on down, I'll just be a moment." Reg left and walked downstairs. A prince…he sighed.

"Well, Reg old boy, you are no prince. But let's not feel sorry for ourselves. Alice needs us right now – not a puffed up, ruffled prince. Ruffled princes don't know how to make tea and _I_ do!" And so Reg went about making the tea.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Alice finished splashing her face with cold water. She was feeling a little foolish and a lot better. Her cheeks burned as she remembered what Reginald had said. "He thinks I'm beautiful." She blushed a little more. Perhaps she didn't need a prince. Perhaps all she needed was a mad man in a hat.


End file.
